 WORTH-WHILE 


WORK IN WAR- 


TIME 


A REPORT 
of STEWARDSHIP 


By THE WAR LITERATURE COMMITTEE OF 
THE AMERICAN SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION 


PHILADELPHIA 
JANUARY, 1918 


Digitized by the Internet Archive 
In 2023 with funding from 
Columbia University Libraries 


https://archive.org/details/worthwhileworkinOOamer 


WORTH-WHILE WORK 


EK send hearty greeting on the threshold of the 

new year to all who have aided us in serving 
our soldier and sailor boys through the instrumentality 
of choice Christian literature. 

When the war began, the American Sunday-School 
Union saw its distinctive line of service. It has proved 
one for which there is much need, without overlap- 
ping what others are doing. 

Knowing that the work of our own missionaries 
would be more than ever needed—in the rural districts, 
mining and lumber camps, and other isolated sections 
which are their special field—we saw that our line of 
special service must be through the printed page. 


Our SpectaL LINE oF SERVICE. 


WARE of the work that the Y. M. C. A. War 
Work Council, backed by ample funds, would 
undertake in the larger camps, we turned with our offer: 
of service to the Chaplains—to all of them, but es-- 
pecially to those in the Regular Army and the Navy,. 
located at points and on ships which the Y. M. C. A. 
had not reached. 

Knowing, also, that the American Bible Society and 
the Pocket Testament League would center on the dis- 
tribution of Testaments, we developed our own plans of 
service along the following lines: 


1. Cuorce Scripture Portions in the form of Wall 
Charts, containing such selections as the Twenty-third 
Psalm, the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, ete.; 
Wall Cards, each containing some great Scripture 
verse; ‘‘Silent Comforter’’ Wall Rolls, containing a 
page of Scripture for each day of a month. Of all of 
these, up to the end of 1917, 2,880 have been sent out, 
and they are hanging on the walls of meeting-rooms, 
of hospitals, and of barracks wherever our boys have 
gone. 

2. One of the best ways of getting the gospel into 
men’s hearts is through song. For our own ‘‘ FAvoRITE 
Hymns,’’ a choice collection of 150 Church hymns 
and Gospel songs, there has been a constant demand 
from Chaplains in all ranks of the service. From 
16,824 of these, men are singing—on warships, in the 
great Army and Navy training camps, in forts and 
isolated posts, in Hawaii, the Philippines and the Canal 
Zone, on transports and in the training camps ‘‘some- 
where in France.’’ 

3. For personal, Hanp-ro-Hanp Work with soldiers 
and sailors, we have supplied a little book entitled Is 
Christianity True? dealing with practical funda- 
mentals; another entitled Hacuse Me, dealing with 
men’s grounds of hesitation in regard to entering the 
Christian life; with a variety of evangelistic leaflets. 

We have also furnished illustrated booklets telling 
the stories of the great Bible heroes, and many issues 
of our Young People’s Paper containing wholesome 
moral and religious stories and other good reading 
matter. Of all of these, 83,817 copies have had wide 
but careful distribution. 


4, For this war-time service we have produced THREE 
New Pusuications. Chief among these is a special | 
edition of the Gospel according to Mark, containing, 
besides the text of the Gospel attractively arranged 
and printed, practical comments paragraph by para-— 
graph by Rey. F. B. Meyer,.of London, and other valu- 
able features. This little vest-pocket book so ecom- 
mended itself in its first edition of 50,000 copies that 
the Y. M. C. A. War Work Council has paid the cost 
of a special edition of 100,000, to be used in connection 
with its Bible classes in the camps. To meet the large 
demand through the Chaplains, another edition of 
100,000 is also being manufactured. 

We have prepared for use especially among the 
officers, under the title of A Leader of Freemen, a 
short life of General S. C. Armstrong, calculated to 
inspire men to unselfish Christian service among their 
fellows. Though but recently issued, 1,234 copies have 
already been personally distributed, through Y. M. C. A. 
Camp Secretaries as well as by Chaplains. 

Sunday-school work has been started on many ships 
and in many camps and forts, and this has ealled for 
a non-denominational but evangelical lesson help. To 
meet this special need we have produced a new four- 
page leaflet entitled On Service, containing, together 
with the text and explanation of the lesson, a pungent 
paragraph on each Daily Home Reading passage by 
Mr. S. D. Gordon, and articles on the lesson truths in 
daily life which make each leaflet in itself an evangeli- 
cal message. Although only just ready, 19,237 of these 
have been called for, 


STANDING By THE CHAPLAINS. 


INCE the war opened, the force of Chaplains in 

our Army and Navy has been steadily increased, 
until in December it reached a total of 475, of whom 
347 are Protestant and 128 Roman Catholic. Much 
pains has been necessary to keep in touch with this 
inerease by securing, with the aid of the Federal 
Council’s Committee on Chaplains, the names and 
assignments of new Chaplains as appointed. To 
them all we have-made our offer of co-operation. Move- 
ments among troops have been so frequent that many 
of the new Chaplains have found it difficult as yet to 
get into right relations with their work. The response 
to our communications has been most appreciative and 
grateful. Up to December 31, 1917, we had made ship- 
ments of literature to 134 Chaplains. Of these, twelve 
are Roman Catholic, and the rest are connected with 
the following Protestant denominations: 


Methodistwtiets- a cee 30 Disciples of Christ ... 4 
Presbyterian ........ 18, Universalist {<2 eee 5 
Protestant Episcopal... 16 Reformed ........... 2 
Baptist= yee ene 16 Reformed Dutch ..... at 
Lutheranga-cn eee 10 United Brethren ..... ak 
Christian) @ cee eee 6 Methodist Protestant. 1 
Congregational ...... 4 Not Ascertained ..... 8 


In Aut LINES OF THE SERVICE. 


F those to whom we have furnished literature 49 

are Regular Army Chaplains, 22 of these con- 
nected with Infantry regiments, 11 Cavalry, 11 Coast 
Artillery, 4 Field Artillery, and 1 Engineers. 


+ 


We have supplied 29 National Army Chaplains con- 
nected with 15 regiments of Infantry, 9 of Field Artil- 
lery, and 5 of Engineers. 

These are located at 64 different camps and forts in 
every part of the United States, at barracks on the 
Pacifie Coast and in Hawaii, at posts in the Philippines 
and on the Canal Zone, and with the American Expedi- 
tionary Foree in France. 

We have also supplied 13 Chaplains of National 
Guard troops—Infantry, Field Artillery, Machine Gun 
battalions, Ammunition Train and Engineers—located 
at 8 different camps in the South. 

We have furnished, besides, 43 Naval Chaplains con- 
nected with 6 Navy Yards, 5 Receiving Ships, 2 Naval 
Hospitals, 10 Naval Training Camps and Stations, and 
20 different. warships, including 2 vessels of our Asiatic 
Fleet. 


WHAT THE CHAPLAINS SAY. 


E have on file a great batch of letters from these 
Chaplains, expressing their appreciation and 

telling of the good which the literature has done. We 
give a few extracts from those most recently received: 


Chaplain C. Q. Wright, of the Naval Training Station 
at San Francisco, in asking for an additional ship- 
ment has just said: 


The supplies already furnished by you to this 
station have been well and profitably used. 
Our warm thanks to the Union for this service 
to our splendid lads now in training here and 
to the thousands who have already gone out 
to duty. 


Chaplain James Miles Webb, of the 27th Infantry, 
Manila, Philippine Islands, writes: 


No religious work among men of this regi- 
ment except mine; no literature or books for 
use. This is the first offered help and it is 
very much needed at once, 


Chaplain W. H. Cutler, of the 13th Engineers, writes 
from France: 


This regiment of 1,600 Railway Engineers is 
the first American regiment in active service 
here. We are near the front and operating a 
French war railroad. We are in need of song- 
books with music and greatly appreciate your 
offer. The 350 copies of Mark are desired for 
Bible-class use and personal distribution. 


Chaplain John R. Edwards, of the 19th Field Artil- 
lery, San Antonio, Tex., writes: 


I suppose you realize in some measure the 
importance of what you are doing in furnish- 
ing this literature, but as a Regular Army 
Chaplain let me say it is a wonderful thing. 
I am in desperate need of these very things 
that you offer. In the rush of preparing to 
fight, it is very hard for Chaplains in any way 
to procure them. Kindly hurry through what 
I have asked as fast as possible; we are in 
great need. 


Chaplain Thomas S. Cline writes from Headquarters 
19th Engineers (Railway), American Expeditionary 
Foree in France: 


The books with which you supplied us before 
leaving the United States continue to be most 


6 


valuable. In all our services, both in the camp 
and in the American Base Hospital of which 
I am Chaplain, we use the ‘‘ Favorite Hymns’’ 
and find that it meets the situation perfectly, 
I am looking forward to the arrival of the 

~ 1,000 copies of St. Mark which you wrote you 
have so generously forwarded me. 


Chaplain George F. Rixey, of the 64th Infantry, 
Camp Bliss, Tex., writes: 


I cannot commend your work too highly. It 
is sorely needed, and it will mean much in 
helping the American Army give back to eivili- 
zation an ideal well-nigh lost. 


Chaplain Joseph Clemens, of the 5th Field Artillery, 
American Hixpeditionary Force in France, writes: 


The first roll of the valuable material I 
requested for the use of my soldiers has come 
and I am very thankful. All the. lterature 
is the right kind. If more were doing 
the kind of service you are, perhaps the 
free distribution of cigarettes would not 
prove a curse by increasing their consump- 
tion forty per cent. 


Chaplain, William Reese Scott, of the 17th Infantry, 
Chattanooga, Tenn., writes: 
You can never realize how wonderfully your 
donations of books and other printed matter 


have helped the soldiers and assisted me in my 
work, for which God will bless you. 


Acting Chaplain Roy Leslie Lewis, of the U. S. S. 
Wisconsin, in acknowledging a second shipment, thus 
wrote: 


Let me again assure you that these books 
will be placed where they will be thoroughly 
appreciated. It is a pleasure to be able to 
supply the men with such wholesome and at- 
tractive literature. I am delighted with your 
specia. edition of Mark’s Gospel. 

No one can overestimate the value of these 
silent ministers that lift men to a higher plane 
of thinking and living, 


Chaplain Thomas M. Mark, U. 8. N. R. F., of Section 
Base 6, Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, N. Y., in asking for a 
second shipment, wrote: 


_The last consignment of this literature was 
highly appreciated by men going out from this 
Base. All sailors leaving here go at once 
aboard ship, so when they come to the Chaplain 
to bid him goodbye, these books make a suit- 
able gift for the men to carry with them to 
their new location. 


Chaplain Stephen R. Wood, of the 29th Infantry, 
Camp Gaillard, Canal Zone, wrote: 


I cannot begin to tell you how delighted I 
was with the contents of the boxes just re- 
ceived, nor shall I ever be able to tell you the 
immense amount of good that is being done to 
our men. I have distributed the literature 
very carefully that there might be no waste, 
remembering also the men in the guard house 
and in the hospitals. I am truly very grateful 
to you for the help you have been to me in my 
work. We Chaplains of the Regular Army are 
seldom thought of even by our own churches, 
and at a time like this, it helps to know that 
we are kept in mind, as well as the men who 
are in only for the war. 


8 


Chaplain A. F. Torrance, of the U. S. 8S. Brooklyn 
in our Asiatic Fleet, has just sent a request for an- 
other shipment to which he adds: 


Thank you for your past favors. I am writ- 
ing you a letter soon telling you of some great 
good your wonderful work is doing. May God 
bless it continually. 


How Has Tuis Work BEEN SUPPORTED ? 


OW has this good work been provided for? In 

the midst of many public appeals and campaigns, 
its quiet activities have been known only to those most 
interested. The first gifts toward its support came 
from the managers and employees of the American 
Sunday-School Union. From them, from Sunday- 
schools and elasses (chiefly Union schools cared for by 
the Society), and from some outside givers, we have 
received a total of $2,831.64. The correspondence neces- 
sary to promote the most useful circulation of the 
literature has been conducted by the Society’s officers 
without drawing upon our funds for this purpose. The 
cost of manufacturing the literature thus far distributed 
has been $4,129.14. In addition to that amount, for 
the large new edition of the Gospel according to Mark, 
and for renewing supplies of other publications most 
needed and asked for, we have assumed manufacturing 
obligations amounting to $8,216.06. 

The large difference between the receipts and ex- 
penditures has thus far been provided for by appro- 
priation from funds of the Society available for the 
free circulation of religious literature. These funds 


4 


have now been exhausted, and the continuance of this 
fruitful service urgently calls for wider and more 
generous support. It surely must not be allowed to 
cease. 


Wiuuram C. Srorver, Chairman 
Barton F. BLAKE 

E. Augustus MILLER 

Wiuuiam H. Hirst 

GeorGE P. WILLIAMS 

James McConavueny, Secretary 


Committee on War Literature of the 
American Sunday-School Union. 


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